Air-wound coils, or simply coils, are used as inductors in electrical circuits and come in a variety of different sizes, varying both in diameter and in the number of turns. Their geometric configuration makes them very difficult to present in precise orientation by pick-and-place or robotic equipment for automatic mounting on printed circuit boards (PCB's) or the like. Traditionally, vibratory bowl feeders have been used to present air-wound coils for automatic placement. These feeders are effective when the coils are large in diameter and have many turns, but they are expensive. For many newer products, such as high-frequency radios and cellular telephones, small one, two, or three turn coils are required. These coils become entangled in vibratory bowl feeders and therefore have to be manually placed in position.
Damaged coils also present a problem. Unless parts have been individually inspected before placement, a time-consuming and expensive process, a damaged coil can easily get caught in the feeder, causing repair costs for the feeder and lost production time. If a damaged part, such as an inductor, is placed on a PCB, the board will behave defectively since proper inductor operation depends on the exact geometry of the coil.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus for accurately orienting undamaged components that enables various sizes of components to be inexpensively, quickly, and easily presented in the correct orientation for mounting.